men as they charge their sufferings upon the creature so they exspect help in their sufferings from the creature This was Asa's sin that in his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians 2 Chron. 16.12 It is not simply evil to seek to Physicians but commanded and commendable but Asa's sin was this that he sought not the Lord quia in medicis so the Hebr. is rendered because he trusted in the Physicians and concluded he should have health and help from them it is worthy observation that Rapha which signifies a Physician is used also for a Gyant Deut. 2.20 that also was accounted a land of Gyants Rephaim Gyants were very proud and trusted much in their own strength David tells the Philistine Gyant that he came out against him with a sword and with a spear and with a shield 1 Sam. 17.45 implying his trust in his arms and arme of flesh as the Antithesis or opposite termes do shew but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts and is not this very much the fault of Physicians do not men bear themselves very high upon their learning skill and experiences do they not boast what cures they have wrought in what desperate cases they have been succesfull how they have raised up Patients from the very gates of the grave and to one that comes to a sick Person in the name of the Lord that attempts a cure in the strength of God ten may be found I fear who come with a sword with a spear and with a shield who attempt great things in their own strength rest more upon their own experience then Gods Providences and give more to their own prescripts then to divine presence which may be one reason why the Lord puts such new and various distempers into old diseases as Agues and Feavers that he may befool that generation of men Iob 9.13 who are so wise in their own eyes and this may be one cause why in ordinary cases they so often miscarry being therefore called Rephaim because through their rashness and in-advertency they send so many of their patients El-Rephaim unto the dead so 't is used Psal 88.10 Shall the dead arise and praise thee Prov. 2.18 It has been very common for men to place much trust in the power and prowess of Gyants and to expect great things from them How did the Philistines repose upon their great Goliah 1 Sam. 17.8 9. offering themselves to be Israels servants if any Israelite was able to conquer their Champion in a single duel O how do too many hang their hopes of health and recovery upon the Physicians skill if they can get but such and such a Doctour to their bed-sides they presently conceit themselves well at least in a safe way for Recovery This is a fault in both whereby an encroachment is made upon God and he robbed of his glory may not that question be put in this case 2 Kings 1.3 Is it not because there is no God in Israel that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron alas Galen himself is but a Baal-zebub as to the perfecting of any cure without the blessed presence of the God of Israel Asa sinned in trusting to the skill of an Israelitish Physician as well as Ahaziah in sending to enquire of his recovery of the God of Ekron 't is dangerous to rely upon means though the best of means we are commanded in trouble to call upon God but if we trust in our prayers or expect help and health from them we sin and have little ground to expect safety The ark was a signe of Gods presence and even Jordan it self was fordable when the feet of the Priests who bare the Ark of the Covenant came to the brink of the river yet when the Israelites in a defeature by the Philistines Army imputed their overthrow to the absence of the Ark and therefore sent for the Ark into the camp making the earth ring with their loud acclamations of joy at the approach of it putting themselves into the hazzard of a new battel under the protection of that sacred standard they made but a bad bargain for they were again smitten with a very great slaughter and the Ark of God taken 1 Sam. 4.3 unto the 12 verse Much more might be added to shew the danger of resting upon man and means but this hath been fully spoke to already in a former Use 3. If this be true that God appears to the help of his people in the day of their distress then blame may be justly charged upon those who will not wait for help from God who discover impaciency of spirit in an evil day if help do not suddenly come many men have paid dearly for it Saul had much to say for himself The Philistines were gathered against him in great numbers Israel was scattered from him and Samuel out-stayed his time appointed 1 Sam. 30.8 compared with 1 Chron. 10.8 and yet because he waited not for help in Gods way and at Gods time Samuel tells him vers 13. that he had done foolishly and ver 14. that his kingdome should not continue It is observable verse 10. that assoon as Saul had made an end of offering behold Samuel came Such is Mans Imprudent rashness that he will not travail Gods pace in the way of his own safety but will whip and spur and run full speed in wayes of his own invention though to his cost when as it sometime falls out that so soon as he hath made all things ready to have deliverance in his own way Samuel comes God appears opens a door of safety to him and in a certain way of Providence would have secured him against all his fears but now because he waited not Gods time the Lord refuseth help and his own devices perish and he with them The Israelites have left this truth writ in the bloud of many of them when they would not stay Gods leasure but would to Canaan upon their own legs Numb 14.44 whereas had they waited Gods time he would have carried them thither in his own armes Jehoram sinned this way when he broke out into such high language 2 Kings 6. ult Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer Oh this is a very great evil a teeming womb that brings forth many ill-favoured bratts 1. Unbelief is the issue of impaciency he that believeth doth not make haste Isa 28.16 Faith will not make more haste then good speed it will not out run the Constable but stay till the Promise speaks Isa 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will wait for him I 'le not stirre a foot from the Promise nor step aside from the rule to any carnal shiftings but wait for help till God brings it but where there is an evil heart of unbelief it departs from God leaves him and his wayes if he be
sacrifice to your nets nor burn incense to your own drags do not say your own sword and your own bow hath gotten you the victory and so shut out the King of Saints and his anointed ones from any share in your many victories Take heed of Elations and up liftings of spirit in ascribing too much to your own prowess and policy and so carry away the honor of the day from the Lord of Hosts it is much a fault in many who will not own God in you nor acknowledge you as a Battle-ax in the hands of the great God whereby he hath broken the enemy and dasht in pieces the powers of the world which hath stood up against the Lord and his people and it would be much your sin if ye should by a proud Monoply engross the glory of the work wholly to your selves if any thing of this nature hath been upon your spirits or faln unwarily from your lips let me bespeak you in the words of an excellent woman and think it not dishonour to be counselled by the mouth of a woman though Abimelech did to fall by the hand of a woman 1 Sam. 2.3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come forth of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed He that trieth the heart and weigheth the spirits will certainly weigh such carriages and finde them too light if souldiers say with Ajax I know no God but my sword they shall surely finde that the sword of Gideon is but a wooden blade if the sword of the Lord be not with it be much in working that passage upon your hearts Isa 10.15 Shall the ax boast it self against him that heweth with it or shall the saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it c. Ye know concerning whom these words were spoken proud Senacherib and upon what occasion to wit the vaunting of his success in wars and what follows why vers 16. Therefore the Lord the Lord of Hosts shall send among his fat ones principal Officers leanness and under his glory he shall kindle a fire May not that contempt which the Lord hath poured upon some ones of you spring much from this root of pride I onely interrogate and such are the respects I bear to the Restorers of our peace and liberty that I wish the Dream may be to those that hate you and the interpretation unto your enemies Dan. 4.19 2. Own the people of the Lord who have owned you and the cause ye have ventured in They have had a large share in the fraughtage of that ship which by the blessing of God hath been steered by you through stormy Seas into safe harbour Read often Prov. 27. vers 10. Thine own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not You cannot own God fully if you dis-own his people who under him have assisted in the work ye have had many Auxiliaries who have helped the Lord and you against the mighty Some have jeoparded their lives unto death with you in the high places of the field Judg. 5.18 It would be very disingenuous to lay such aside as depontani and over-look them as men unworthy of your knowledge now ye sit in the high places of the Nation An heathen mans conscience smote him for this crime The Popish Souldiers that went against the Angrognians said that the Minities with their prayers conjured and bewitched them that they could not fight And did not ye at Edge-hill say with others now for the fruits of prayer and did not ye receive the fruit of it Gen. 11. vers 9. and shall the guilt thereof rest upon you And some again have been upon the Mount when you have been fighting with your enemies in the valley and they have not been your worst friends neither have ye received the least aid from them When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed and when he let down his hands Amalek prevailed Exod. 17. vers 11. Ye owe much of your success and safety in the late wars to a praying people It was observed and it was very observable that immediately after monthly Fasts ye got ground of the enemy in some places did not the Lord proclaime in your Camp that this and that victory was as well the procurement of a praying Assembly as of a fighting Army And that it was as well fetched from heaven by the tears of his Sanctuary as finished upon earth by the blood of his Souldiery Indeed ye deserve blame if ye sleight them who have wept and mourned fasted and prayed yea wrastled hard for you and by whom the war hath been much carried on in heaven and we are equally blame-worthy if we slight you who have laboured and marched and run the hazzard of limbs and lives yea fought and bled and by whom the war hath been carried on upon earth The Lord heal all hard-thoughtedness betwixt you and us and make us one as ever in the truth and cause of Jesus 3. Be humbled before the Lord A great Queen said she feared more the prayers of Ioha Knox and his Complices than an Army of thirty thousand men Trap in Mat. 18.19 for all the acts of violence and injustice either acted or permitted by you in the heat of war for all the breaches of Oaths or Covenants with God or man for all your failing in or falsifying of the Vows which ye made to God in the day of your didistress And that there hath been any root bearing wormwood or gall springing up among you that of your selves men have arose speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Act. 20. vers 19. It is too evident and hath been that the File-leaders and heads of many errours that I say not of all have been either of or found shelter in the Army both have many witnesses at this day living It took no great impression upon us that some stragling persons blurted off their pot-guns at us but when we were drawn upon by the Souldiery or by a sort of men abetted by them and marching under their protection this was great grief of heart unto us this was a sword in our bones and drew tears from our eyes in our secret mournings before the Lord This made our prophane neighbours scoffe at us when they heard those truths opposed those doctrines contradicted those wayes of the Lord evil-spoken of and those Ordinances sleighted for which ye and we had contested so long with tears and blood This made the Cavalier-Minister laugh in their sleeves and deride when they beheld the faithful Ministers faithful to the Lord to you and to the cause contended for vilified disdained and traduced and that by a party of our own Army when they themselves met with no such trouble from them This we looked upon as very disingenuous to us and as unsuitable returns to the Lord. The Lord clear up his great Gospel truths above all possibility of mistake by his own people and fill
5. 7. Undue receiving of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep 8 Heresies Apoc. 2.22 Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation 9. Want of due respect unto and fear of the great name of God Deut. 28.58 59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law that are written in this book That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name THE LORD THY GOD then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance Cause these sins as Joshuah did the Tribes of Israel 7.16 to pass before your consciences to finde out the Achan for which the Lord hath so sorely afflicted you and having found out those particular sins be humbled for them repent of them and carefully avoid all future tendencies unto them as Samuel advised Israel 1 Sam. 7.3 Put away the strange gods from among you and Ashteroth So do I you put away from you the love of all sins and especially Ashsteroth that sin which hath been the root of your disease and think you hear the Lord Jesus by his spirit speaking these words unto you Behold ye are made whole sin no more least a worse thing come unto you Joh. 5.14 And improve your late visitation with the present opportunities of grace That ye may be partakers of Gods Holiness Heb. 12.10 Consecrate your lives which ye have received a new from the dead unto the Lord devote your selves wholly to the service of the great God let me bespeak you in the words of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.2 That ye live no longer the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God and that not onely in the general duties of your general Callings as Christians but with a special eye to your particular standings and capacities as Magistrates Ministers or as Christians so and so related and qualified Three things are hinted in this verse 1. That the time of mans abode in the flesh is fixed and dedetermined by God That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and residue of time is stated in heaven I may here allude by way of resemblance unto a piece of cloath which as to the number of yards is laid in the warp so soon as brought to the Weaver and every hour he works in the woof he lessens the bulk of yarn that is wrapped upon the beam untill at length he finisheth the whole piece and cuts it off leaving nothing but the thrums behind the heathen had this in their three fatall sisters And Job alludes to it Chap. 7.6 My days are swifter then a Weavers shuttle before man is born into the world whilst his substance is yet imperfect in the wombe of his mother like raw yarn in the shop as all his members are in Gods book so the measure of life is fixed in the appointment of his great Creator and every day he lives Weaves off somewhat of his life until at length nothing is left upon the brain but the thrums of a crazy and putrid carcass which is cut off and thrown into the grave Hezekiah alludes to this Isa 38.10 12. I said in the cutting off of my days I shall go to the gates of the grave I am deprived of the residue of my years mine age is departed and is removed from me as a shepherds tent I have cut off like a Weaver my life 2. Whilest man lives to the lusts of men he lives not according to the Law of his Creator Ego te non Catelinae genui sed Patriae as he said to his son I begat thee not to serve Cataline but thy Country so speaks the Lord Jehovah to man I created thee not to serve man but thy Maker not to live according to thy own or other mens lusts but according to my laws now the lusts of the flesh and the laws of an holy God they are inconsistent and opposite each to other It is a sad thing to be a servant of men in many cases but in none so sad as in this It was the great English Cardinals complaint in the day of his distress If I had served my God with half that faithfulness as I have served my King he would not have left me now or to this sence Many men have rued it and will at the great day of accounts that they have been such slaves to the lusts of men their pride avarice ambition uncleanness c. And have so cast off the easie and noble yoak of Gods laws many servants have much to answer for the Lord give them timely repentance and masters too else their own and their servants sins will stand upon their score 3. He only lives up to the rule of his creation who lives up to the will of God this is the royal standard under which we all must march This is the maine wheel which must govern all our motions Obedience to this is that which denominates us both men and Christians and as our duty obligeth us to obey the will of God in the gross and general so far as it is revealed so our Allegiance to God as men and more as Christians binds us to observe our particular calls and cries as God revealeth things to be his minde and will there are indeed standing commands which run through all ages of the world without the least variation to obey which all men especially Christians stand equally obliged But the wise God is pleased to parcel out his will in particular commands to persons as to time manner and matter in many things as his own councels ripen and bring forth his pleasure into the world now a Christian must not onely observe the will of God as it speakes to him in common with other men but as it speaks unto him and calls for something from him in such a standing and capacity and not onely observe the will of God which hath been owned in all ages as the entertainment of his Son sanctifying his Sabbaths waiting upon his own appointments c. But also to act up unto it in our respective stations as he makes it known to us in the present providences and products of it Mr. Hamner in his preface to his excerbitations on confirm And therefore as a learned Writer lately observes That God committed the receiving and refining of truth from Antichristian power and mixture to the forgoing worthies of this and foraign Nations which were happily performed by them but discipline and order seem to belong unto us and which the Lord hath preserved for this period of time wherein the work of reformation is to be carried on to greater perfection this doubtless the late providences speak to be the Lords will and his expectation from the men of this generation Oh then ye servants of the Lord whom
full assurance verse 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Calvin Beza c. P scator Ambrose August Erasmus Dodate Great Annotations of the Assembly Mr. Baxtes Spirits witness to Christianity page 121. Expositors do much differ about the sence of these words some understand them as speaking of Christs love to us some of the sense and feeling of Christs love unto us others of our love to Christ or in a conjunct sense both of Christs love to us and our love unto Christ But surely the Apostle speaks at this rate what can unclasp those mutual embracements between Christ and his people or what can separate us from Christ by withdrawing or destroying our love to him and consequently turning his love from us we have many assaults but all in vain for when a Believer reflects upon what Christ hath done for him considers the death resurrection and intercession of Jesus Christ with the precious fruits of all unto his soul and that out of pure love who deserved to be an object of eternal hatred this makes the pulse beat quick and high in holy affections to the Lord Jesus And the want of this due reflection upon what by nature we were and what now by grace we are dasheth the rising flames of an holy affection in us to the Lord Jesus 3. You will live best unto God because You will live most in thankfulness unto God when you live in the sence of what God hath done for you it is the consideration of divine grace and mercie which drawes out the soul in praises unto God the thoughtfull Christian is the thankfull Christian he that pondereth most upon mercies prayeth God most for mercies Oh! when you take a serious review of that change which is upon your hearts of the drawings of your soules heaven-ward and holiness-ward and compare time with time state with state what you were with what you are how once you affected sinne but now abhor it how once you loathed Ordinances but now you love them how once the wayes and people of God were distastefull unto you but are now delightfull how little you had once to shew for heaven and how much you have now through grace to shew against Hell Oh! this will give the heart a notable vent and fill the cup of praise up to the brim Psal 103. ver 1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my soul sayes holy David but doth he stay here no and all that is within me bless his holy name every instrument must be put into tune every musical key must be touched every fret must be stopt and every string must be struck to sound forth the praises of God nay again Bless the Lord O my soul and why so what 's the reason of this thankfulness O soul thou hast great cause to be thankfull For 1. He forgiveth all thine iniquities thou hadest the the guilt of many and great sinnes upon thee which would have sunk thee down into Hell and Jehovah hath given thee pardon of them all nay farther 2. He healeth all thy diseases thou wast full of noisome and unclean distempers many running sores of filthy lusts and Jehovah hath vouchsafed healing grace unto thee Thou art now a justified and a sanctified person 3. Thou art now redeemed from Hell and destruction and wearest the loving-kindnesses and tender mercies of God as a royal Diadem upon thy head and therefore Oh my soul bless bless bless Jehovah Oh if ever we come to such a sence of pardoning healing redeeming crowning satisfying and renewing grace from the Lord as David we shall then take up David's harp and awake our glory to the praises of a good God could we but fasten this upon our spirits that distinguishing grace hath severed us from those heaps of rubbish that we were mingled with and cull'd us out from the rabble of the world that we were herded with our spirits would be turned to this evangelical duty and ditty and if so how like heaven it self would the Church look how would the militant resemble the triumphant Jerusalem and how would every nook of the Gospel-world ring with the praises of God Mr. Baxter Part 4 Saints Rest page 134. The liveliest embleme of heaven that I know upon earth is when the people of God in the deep sence of the excellency and bounty of God from hearts abounding with love and joy do joyn together both in hearts and voices in the cheerfull and melodious singing of his praises 4. You will live best unto God because You will live most to the glory of God sence of grace received will enflame you with a greater zeal for God and will put every wheel into motion We are naturally slow to action upon the best account the best drive on but heavily few drive at Jehu's rate very few there be whose soules make them as the chariots of Aminadab that make haste in Gods work like the roe or young hart upon the mountains of spices If ever Christians drove heavily the Christians of this age do if ever the elementary constitution of the Church was earth and water now it is little of fire appears unless in unhappy contentions and animosities or else in love to the world and thus most are red hot their affections all on a flame the Lord quench them But Oh! where is their zeal for God where is the courage activity and resolvedness for God where 's the minding of the things of God and holy contendings for God which the Puritans of old that were Puritans of the good old way have discovered there is too much of the Laodicean spirit too many Gallio's amongst us men are high indeed to enthrone their own opinions and perswasions whilest Religion in the main duties of it is neglected they are exact in rything mint and commin and annise whilest judgement mercy and faith the weightier matters of the Law are neglected Math. 23. vers 23. The great Zealots of the times are for the most part men of corrupt and Heterodox Judgments who are violent enough to impose their Errours and false conceptions the Lord take them off from their speed least they out run the Constable as they have done the Covenant He 's a stranger in Israel that knows not these things and he 's no true son of Zion that doth not bewail them but now would we have the water run in the right channel would we have our spirits up in a right zeal for God let our meditations be often and serious upon what God hath done for our soules Oh when a Saint fetcheth oyl from experienced loving kindnesses it makes the wheels run glib when he argues Hath God done thus and thus for me hath he left others of my kindred of my contemporaries of my
acquaintance who had the same advantages of Education Ordinances and Gospel-Opportunities with me in ignorance and unbelief and hath he enlightened me called me wrought faith in me appointed me to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ and shall not I be active for Christ shall I sit still brooding over a patch of this base world or drive on the interest of mine own honour or advantage when the name of God is blasphemed the honour of Christ is empeached Gospel-truths are corrupted Gospel-Ordinances reviled and the way of God evil spoken of did Croesus his dumb son cry out for the life of his father and shall I that can speak now be dumb Do I thus requite the Lord is this my kindeness to my friend Jesus Saint Paul had another spirit like that of Calebs 1 Cor. 15. ver 8. last of all he was seen of me also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the emphasis lies in Me there 's an accent upon that word of Me vile Me wretched Me sinful me unworthy Me who was a blasphemer a persecutour and an injurious person but by the grace of God I am what I am by the Grace free grace and rich grace of God I am a chosen vessel a servant of the Lord a believer an Apostle of Jesus Christ and what followes doth he lap up this talent in a napkin doth he sing a requiem to his soul and bid her take her case no saies he his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly then they all minde here how the sense of grace received carries out his soul in activity for God to labour yea to abound in labour for from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum he fully preached the Gospel of Christ and wrote more Epistles then all the other Apostles did hence he exhorteth the Saints vers 58. alway to abound in the works of the Lord Oh sure there would not be that selfishness and sloth among Christians if this course was duely practised a draught of t his wine taken next thy heart every morning would make the lips of them that are asleep to speak Cant. 7. vers 9. it would shew its strength and generosity in a wakening and enflaming the spirits of believers so that the most dull and slow of speech would there be made good and cloquent speakers in the cause of God and thus live best to God II. You will live best to your selves to your own spiritual advantage if you live much in the sence of grace received Gain is a great incitive unto action what will you give me was Judas his question and is too much the compass by which many sail Christians are generally prudent and providential in their family provision That advice of the Apostle Rom. 12.17 Provide things honest in the sight of all men is followed by most and may be without blame if the care be moderate and the provision be of things honest that is if Christians follow lawful callings and so play above-board that they be not afraid who see what they do nor ashamed to be accountable to man for every penny which they return when they fear neither sin nor shame though all men were eye witnesses to their way of trading these are things honest indeed and if Christians onely provided these the mouths of many would be stopt yet I will shew you a more excellent way surely those things which tend to the well-being of the soul to the enriching of that and filling your coffers with grace and comfort that 's the way these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the honest and good things which Christians should trade in and turn every stone to obtain now there is no way will sooner do it and with more safety then that which is mentioned that will bring in the quickest returns as will appear in these particulars if rightly improved 1. You will live best to your selves upon this account Because you will live most off from sin sence of pardoning and redeeming and renewing grace gives a notable check to lust and marveilously banks up corruption Rom. 6.1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin we that are justified by faith so have peace with God through Jesus Christ shall we continue in sin we that have a surer standing in grace through Jesus Christ then Adam had when he had his standing in innocency shall we continue in sin we who when we were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son who shall be saved by his life and having now received the atonement do joy in God yee rejoyce in hope of the glory of God having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us shall we continue in sin Oh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein that were unreasonable and to an ingenuous renued nature impossible Oh! when a Saint seriously reads over the counsels of God ministred not with ink and paper but with the blood and spirit of his eternal Son and that in a way of free-grace and rich mercy his heart must needs rise against sin if it be in a right frame when he argues it out thus was I born a child of wrath within a hairs breadth of hell Did sin and death pass upon me and over me from Adam was I under judgement by one person and one sin to condemnation and have I received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness to reign in life by one Jesus Christ And shall I sin against such a God against such grace Oh far be it did we often remember the dreadful terrors we lay under at our first awakening the doleful pangs of new birth the bitter wormwood wine which we drank in many and large draughts at our first repentance and sorrow for sin the sad fears of hell and wrath which overwhelmed us and then consider the riches of that grace which hath appeared tous in converting quickning quieting comforting and securing our souls against wrath to come we should find them singular yea sovereign antidotes against sin and may herewith put to silence the most audacious and importunate lusts See how the Apostle the weapons of whose warfar were mighty through God to pull down the strong holds of sin grapples with the national and common sin of Corinth 1 Cor. 6.13 14. ad finem and that was fornication and uncleanness a flesh-pleasing sin natures minion a sin for which Corinth was famous all over the world having store of Stews and Brothel-houses and a temple dedicated to Venus full-stockt with notable harlots yet the Apostle useth this way of Argumentation to bring them off I mean the Corinthian Professors from all unclean practices he lays before them First Their former estate how they were immersed in that sin of uncleaness and carried away with the torrent of those lusts some of you were fornicators adulterers effeminate Secondly The
Babylon by which we are set down do call for weeping rather then rejoycing no sayes he I read your safety in mine own for ver 5. His anger endureth but for a moment ista nubecula cito evanescat as he said of Julians persecution weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning the Churches afflictions though they be sharp yet they shall be but short though they be violent they shall be transient this I assert sayes he as having been mine own case I have had many clear mornings after cloudy nights for the Lord hath brought my life from the grave he hath kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Again Psal 31. ver 22. I said in mine hast so great were my fears and so small was my faith I am cut off from before thine eyes I am a lost a dead an undone man neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee what doth he conclude from hence why ver 23 24. O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer repayeth abundantly or with surplussage in seipso aut semine suo either in himself or in his posterity God will be sure to be meet with him and therefore he bids them be of good courage bear up bravely be stout and stedfast in the faith under trialls did the Lord hear my prayers and will he not hear his praying Church did he appear to my help and will he refuse help to his beloved spouse was my trouble but as a racking cloud soon blown over by the wind of Gods favour and shall the Churches calamity be as a dark heaven set round with raine surely no though the nations do rush like the rushings of many waters yet God shall rebuke them the word signifies shall sharply and severely chide them or destroy them which implyed in the following words and they shall flee farre off and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind and like a thing rouling before the whirlwind and behold at even tide trouble and before the morning he is not this is the portion of them that spoil us and the lot of them that rob us Isa 17. ver 13 14. O then be encouraged to hope and pray and pray in hope when the Church is brought into greatest straits when the Armies of Gog and Magog do go up on the breadth of the earth the number of whom is as the sand of the sea and compasse the camp of the Saints about and the beloved city that fire shall come down from heaven and devour them Apoc. 20.19 Let Davids practice be your pattern argue the Churches deliverances from your own if a man bestirre himself to quench a fire that hath taken hold of a remote cottage how much more will he lay out himself to preserve his manner house If a King send out his troops to secure a petty village from the Rovers how much more will he draw up his whole Army to secure the Royall city If the death of one Saint be precious how much more precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of many precious Saints O! God will be seen upon the mount Caelar-like he will either finde or make a way for their escape the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of every temptation 2 Pet. 2. ver 9. to fetch a Lot out of Sodom and a Judah out of Babylon The Churches extremitie is Gods opportunity when the tale of bricks is doubled then Moses will come as one saies 2. Improve your providential preservations by way of comfort in all your sufferings for the name and in the cause of Christ the Lord tells you tribulation in this world must be your portion and it is a characteristical mark of a true believer to be hated by the world they that have the crown in their eye must bear the cross upon their backs Now in the greatest tryal of affliction for the Gospel ye may draw forth and drink the wine of consolation ye may comfort your spirits by a serious reflection upon your experiences when ye remember what incomes ye had what strength what support what revivings of soul whilest ye lay upon such a bed of sickness were exposed to such hazzards environed with such dangers hedged in with such calamities when ye consider how the Lord fetch'd you off how seasonably Providence stepp'd in to your relief and how wonderfully God appeared for your deliverance Thus the Apostle argues in his own case 2 Cor. 1. ver 8. He tells the Church a great trouble which befell him in Asia it may be that at Ephesus Acts 19. ver 23. or that mentioned 1 Cor. 15. ver 32. but probably some other which Saint Luke mentions not which trouble he aggravates by three notable circumstances 1. We mere pressed out of measure above strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the burthen of a strong man should be laid upon the shoulders of a weak childe their being no proportion betwixt weight and strength 2. We despaired even of life had doubtfull thoughts arising in our hearts that we should not come off with life Note The most holy men have in this life their fits of unbelief 3. We had the sentence of death within our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the answer of death or we passed the sentence of death upon our selves I but God that raiseth up the dead delivered us from so great a death and what Inference doth faith make from hence why it begat an holy affiance in him that God would yet deliver him as if he had said I am yet to live in the world I have not yet finished my course nor fulfilled my Ministery and I know that bands and imprisonments for the Gospel yea trouble and persecution wait for me I but here 's the benefit of experience that God who supported me when I was pressed out of measure and above strength revok'd that sentence of death which I had passed upon my self and delivered me from so great a death he will yet deliver me he will graciously come in with supplies and support unto me that the gates of hell shall not prevail against me and why so confident Paul what bottomes this assurance why the name and nature of that God in whom he trusts his name is Jehovah I am I was and I am to come or I will be Now if you say there was danger I reply there was a God If you say there is danger I answer there is a God and if you fear there will be danger I believe there will be a God Jehovah answers to all these and he that was Jehovah to me in my former is Jehovah to me in my present and will be Jehovah to me in all my future sufferings for the Gospel He is I am in his nature as being yesterday to day and the same for ever and he is I am
in his attributes and appearances for his people He is I am in his love to them he loves with an everlasting love even unto the end I am in his Covenant which is everlasting that he will be the God of his people unto death And he is I am in mine own experience I have found him to be so to me and therefore I do comfortably argue my heart into an expectancy of help from this God and may easily say He hath delivered he doth deliver and he will deliver me The same argument may the Saints take up by way of comfort and hope to themselves in times of persecution when they consider their former deliverances and Gods unchangeableness And now give me leave to make some digression in commending my thoughts by way of comfort to you and to my self in case we should be called forth to a suffering condition much hath been spoken and much to purpose on this subject yet all is little enough and many of the Saints have found it so in an hour of temptation 1. Lay this upon your spirits that your sufferings are upon you for God for his names sake it is ye are killed all the day long and led forth as sheep unto the slaughter ye suffer not as evil doers or busiebodies in other mens matters but for Religion sake the Gospel sake and for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers as the Apostle affirmes of himself Acts 26. ver 6. and therefore ye have good cause to gather up your spirits and humbly expect that God will stand by you and strengthen you in the day of your tryal This made good Mordecai speak at that rate of assurance Hest 4. ver 14. Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jews though Hester the most visible and likely person to advocate their cause lying in the bosome of Ahasuerus as his beloved Queen should hold her peace and this made the three worthies gird up the loyns of their mind and quit themselves like men yea like brave men in that great day of their tryal when in the cause of God they were threatened with a fiery fornace Dan. 3. ver 17. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery fornace Able who question 's the omnipotency of God But how know you that he will deliver why as the eye of their faith was upon that promise Isa 45. ver 2. so it was also upon t heir former preservations they convider'd how eminently God had delivered them from the Chaldeans sword bathed yea made drunk with the bloud of many thousands in that sad day of Jerusalem how they had been kept alive in Babylon what power even to a Miracle God had put forth in preserving health and strength and beauty to them with pulse and water and had given them an honourable standing in that strange Land and therefore now they were brought forth to bear witness against the Idolatry of that Nation and to maintain the worship of the true and living God they concluded their preservation that God would own them and the cause they suffered in which made them speak with that gallantry of spirit He will deliver us out of thy hands O King This account also Daniel gave of his preservation Dan. 6. v. 22. My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the mouth of the Lions that they have done me no hurt forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me That is he suffered as a righteous man in a righteous cause O sure it ought to be the care and wisdome of the Saints not to provoke and exasperate wicked men nor pull trouble on themselves by a contempt of or by any seditious practises against the persons of worldly Governours that when they come to a day of suffering they may speak Daniels words That innocency is found in them before the Lord and that before the Magistrate they have done no hurt by transgressing any Law of man which is consistent with the Lawes and honour of God This will quiet the spirit and bring in reserves of comforting hope and support in the saddest day How sweetly doth the Apostle argue 1 Pet. 4. ver 12 13. unto the end to the comforting and staying up believers in the fiery trial Oh! would you but sip often of this cordial wine and spice it with your own experiences of God unto you in former deliverances how would it antidote against Apostacy in an evil day and excellently prevent those sinkings of spirit which the fear of suffering times produceth in you 2. As there is hope of deliverance when ye suffer upon the single Interest of Religion and that with single hearts so also there wants not ground of hope because the spirits of all the faithfull will be up in prayer All the Saints will then hasten to the mount and put in for your safetie as being of a common concernment They consider that their lives are bound up in the lives of their brethren The Apostle argues thus Heb. 13. ver 3. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity especially for the Gospel as being your selves also in the bodie This Chapter is called by a Divine The Chapter of Remembrances This is a good Memento a seasonable Item to particular believers Societies and Churches to remember before the Lord their Brethren that are in bonds as being bound with them in regard of sympathy and fellow-feeling being members together of the same bodie as also in regard that the chain which is upon their brethren may suddenlie be fastened to their bodies when a scare-fire is begun in a Town every man will be readie with his bucket to quench it because he fears the fireing of his own house It was well said Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet and will be well applyed by Believers when they foresee their own sufferings in their suffering brethren and labour to put a stop to that scare-fire as hearing these words falling from the lips of their dying brethren hodie mihi cras tibi that which is my portion to day will be thine to morrow if the Lord do not stay the rage of bloudie men a scare-fire seldome ends in the first house the Pestilence doth not often stay at the first family nor persecution end in the death of one Saint if the Lord chain not up those mad dogs they will break into the fold and make havock of the flock therefore the Saints that are in the bodie and so are lyable to the same persecutions will up and tugg hard with God for a suffering Believer and that upon the account of their own safetie Thus Acts 12.5 When Peter was kept in prison prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him the whole Church prayed and that without any intervals until they had gotten Peter loose And why so hard at work Oh it was of common concernment It stood them in